11 Standout Guards at Battle of the Brands

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA — Silver Waves Media and All In Elite UA head man Ryan Silver put together a strong collection of 15u, 16u and 17u club teams to participate in the Battle of the Brands which featured matchups across shoe circuit teams. We took in the action at Gahr high school and El Segundo high school Saturday and below we break down the best guards we watched.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2307230' first='Cisco' last='Munoz'] | 2027 | Open Gym Premier 17u</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Munoz is a well-paced signal caller who pulls all the right strings when leading an offense. The 6-foot-1 point guard passes and creates for himself and teammates with a high IQ in transition and out of ball screens in half-court offense. Munoz has the ability to score from mid and three-point range with a balanced and smooth pull-up jumper.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2435366' first='Cole' last='Holden'] | 2027 | All In Elite 17u</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Holden is a steady combo guard who has the versatility in his game to adjust to what his team needs from him. When scoring is needed, the 6-foot-2 junior can knock down catch-and-shoot threes with consistency or get to a mid-range jumper going to his left hand. When playmaking is needed, Holden can slide onto the ball as a primary handler and decision-maker.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2948286' first='JJ' last='Sati-Grier'] | 2028 | Team Why Not 16u</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sati-Grier is quickly emerging as the top point guard prospect out west in the 2028 class. His combination of quickness, savvy and elite feel for the game with the ball in his hands allows him to orchestrate and control a game as he pleases. The 5-foot-10 sophomore was in attack mode with the ball in his hands, and while he played at a break-neck pace, he was never out of control and made all the right plays on when to score and distribute. Sati-Grier had his crafty finishing ability on full display and saw plays develop a couple steps ahead of the opponent.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='3531691' first='JoJo' last='Mariles'] | 2029 | Open Gym Premier 16u</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mariles is coming off of a stellar freshman campaign where he helped Damien high school win the CIF Division 1 State Championship as a starter and major contributor. In this event, the 6-foot-3 shooting guard has one of the most pure perimeter jumpers in Southern California regardless of class and he was splashing off-catch threes and pull-up jumpers from all over the court. Mariles' combination of positional size and elite shooting mechanics make him a prospect who is deserving of Division 1 interest over the next three seasons.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Kai Patton | 2028 | Team Why Not 16u</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Patton is among the best basketball athletes that we have in Southern California and his lane-filling and leaping ability led to a number of impressive transition finishes - both above the rim and of the body-contorting variety. The 6-foot-3 off-guard exploded off the floor for lob finishes and used his downhill speed and physicality to power through contact and finish at the rim.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2750232' first='Luke' last='Paulus'] | 2028 | All In Elite 16u</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Paulus is a steady-handed and high IQ true point guard prospect who is at his best when managing a game and creating for teammates off the bounce. The 6-foot-1 sophomore operates with ideal pace in transition and half-court offense, brings a pass and create-first mindset and rarely turns the ball over. Paulus is a traditional signal caller who makes others around him better.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1464983' first='Mick' last='Riordan'] | 2027 | AZ Select UAA 17u</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Riordan shines in high-pressure situations which leads to him being a player who takes and makes big shots in big moments. The 6-foot-1 point guard struck a good balance over the weekend when it came to hunting those perimeter jumpers and also making the right reads and decisions when creating out of ball screens or on paint touches in transition.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Myles Mobley | 2029 | Team Why Not 15u</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mobley comes from good basketball genes as the son of longtime NBA player Cuttino Mobley and his offensive skill-set and package is very well put together. The 6-foot combo guard is an efficient scorer who can make off-catch threes, hit mid-range jumpers off the bounce and get to the rim where he uses body control and touch to finish.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='3520101' first='Tariq' last='Johnson'] | 2029 | Open Gym Premier 16u</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>What stands out most about Johnson when watching him play is his tough, business-like approach to the game. The 5-foot-10 point guard does not over-handle the ball, gets to his spots efficiently with his movements and can really score in bunches from all over the floor. Johnson is a hard-nosed and fearless defender who brings that edge on the offensive end as a shot-maker and finisher.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Zack Arnold | 2029 | Team Why Not 15u</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Arnold is one of the most savvy and crafty underclass point guards in the state and his elite feel for the game was on full display throughout this event. The 6-foot point guard uses his smooth pace, changes of speed and direction and ability to play off of two feet to make up for his lack of true size and athleticism to create space to score in the mid-range and in the paint. Arnold brought high level playmaking, passing and vision to his team as the primary ball-handler.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2948287' first='Zion' last='Lanier'] | 2028 | All In Elite 16u</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lanier has an intriguing combination of size, skill, physicality and explosive athleticism that makes him one of the best underclass finishers in Southern California. The 6-foot-4 off-guard is a crafty ball-handler with deceptive ball handling and changes of speed and direction that allows him to touch the paint consistently and his strength and athleticism takes over when scoring through contact around the rim.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->